Hoover Dam & Lake Mead Photos

Hoover Dam was constructed 1931-1936 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation out of 5 million barrels of concrete for a final weight of 6.6 million tons. That was about 80% of the cement used in all previous U.S. dams. At 726.5 feet from bedrock to roadway crest, it is one of the tallest dams in the world. It is named after Herbert Clark Hoover, 31st U.S. President & champion of American electrification. It provides water & electricity to seven nearby states. While initially designed as a plain structure, Gordon B. Kaufmann became the architect of the Art Deco features which now define the 1930s. Much of the work was done by hand & hundreds of men died (96 officially) during construction.Lake Mead is a scenic recreation area run by the National Park Service. Both the Dam & lake are day trips from Las Vegas.